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Ichigo Kurosaki (Ten Tails)
| birthday = July 15 | age = 17 | gender = Male | height = 174 cm (5'9") | weight = 61 kg (134 lbs.) | blood type = A | affiliation = | occupation = Substitute Shinigami of | previous occupation = | team = | previous team = | partner = | base of operations = Kurosaki Home, ; Rider City | relatives = (father) (sister) (sister) | education = College Level | shikai = Zangetsu | bankai = Tensa Zangetsu | signature skill = | fullbring = Unknown (formerly) | storyline = | roleplay = | japanese voice = | english voice = | spanish voice = }} Ichigo Kurosaki (黒崎 一護, Kurosaki Ichigo) was formerly a who also had Shinigami powers, but since his body's physical death, he has become a full . He is the son of and , and older brother of and . Appearance Ichigo looks like a normal teenage boy; the one exception to that is his spiky orange hair, a trait that he has been ridiculed about for years. He is a fairly tall, lean-built person with peach skin and brown eyes. Since becoming a Shinigami he has become noticeably more muscular, as noted by his sister Karin. When in his spiritual form, Ichigo wears standard Shinigami attire with the addition of a strap across his chest. Initially it was a thick brown belt to hold his Zanpakutō sheathe,Bleach manga; Chapter 1, pages 50-51 but it later became a red rosary-like strap.Bleach manga; Chapter 67, page 9 Ichigo's appearance has caused several people, including Jūshirō Ukitake, to notice a similarity to Kaien Shiba; the former lieutenant of the 13th Division.Bleach manga; Chapter 117, page 10 After training in the Dangai, Ichigo's hair grows considerably and is noticeably taller, as stated by his friends. After Ichigo's Fullbring merges with his Shinigami powers, Ichigo gains "X"-shaped bracelets on his wrists, an oddly shaped neck brace, and an "X"-shaped object around his upper torso. Personality When he was young, Ichigo considered his mother to be the center of his world.Bleach manga; Chapter 19, page 11 Ichigo always smiled whenever he was with Masaki and he was regularly at her side, holding her hand. Despite crying whenever he lost in a match at the dojo he attended, Ichigo started to smile again as soon as he saw Masaki when she came to pick him up.Bleach manga; Chapter 18, pages 3-5 At a very young age, Ichigo heard his father saying that his name means "to protect one thing", which instilled in him a desire to protect his mother. When his sisters were born he began attending a dojo for the sake of protecting them, since then the number of people he wished to protect has continued to grow,Bleach manga; Chapter 19, pages 19-13 causing Ichigo to risk his life to protect both his family and strangers.Bleach manga; Chapter 1, pages 32-34''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 1, pages 13 As a Human teenager, Ichigo's personality is much more complex. Stubborn, short-tempered, strong-willed and impulsive, he attempts to maintain a detached and "cool" image, despite claiming not to care about what other people think about him. He generally keeps his face set in a permanent scowl, with his eyebrows drawn together.Bleach manga; Chapter 22, page 16 His outspoken, hot-headed demeanor is a trait Ichigo himself acknowledged, and that if somebody picks a fight with him, he cannot help fighting back. He coldly refers to his teachers as “instructors”.Bleach manga; Chapter 34, pages 9-10 He is shown to be genuinely compassionate and empathetic about others, as seen by him promising to bring a Plus flowers''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 1, page 9 and a toy plane''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 0 Side A, pages 6-7 or soothing others when they become upset.Bleach manga; Chapter 74, pages 6-8 Ichigo is also a capable student, ranked 23rd in his high school.Bleach manga; Chapter 35, page 6 He studies regularly and does not neglect his schoolwork, claiming that he has "nothing better to do at home", though he actually works as hard as he does simply to overcome the misconceptions many have about him, which are based on his hair color and fighting.Bleach anime; Episode 11 Ichigo hates fortune telling, horoscopes, fengshui, psychics, and anyone whose trade involves taking money from people for things that they cannot see.Bleach manga; Chapter 27, pages 1-3 He has difficulty remembering people's faces and names.Bleach manga; Chapter 35, page 11''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 58, page 1 Ichigo becomes extremely shy and uncomfortable around nude or immodestly dressed women, a fact both Rangiku Matsumoto and Yoruichi Shihōin have teased him for.Bleach manga; Chapter 116, pages 23-24 Ichigo has some trouble with authority and traditional respect, often quite rude and disrespectful when talking to those older than himself, calling Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto "gramps" and referring to several of the Shinigami captains by their given names.Bleach manga; Chapter 380, page 2 When it comes to fighting, Ichigo has a complex sense of honor; he regularly seeks to exact revenge for the actions of his opponent, such as instilling the fear of being murdered in Shrieker Bleach manga; Chapter 12, pages 1-8 and cutting off the right arm of Yammy Riyalgo in retaliation for him ripping Yasutora Sado's right arm apart.Bleach manga; Chapter193, pages 11-13 He would often taunt and belittle his opponents when fighting, sometimes even attacking without warning.Bleach manga; Chapter 246, pages 12-15 Ichigo has a strong desire to win his fights''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 110, page 9 and to win them in what he views as a legitimate manner. To this end, he has refused the aid of his inner Hollow, even when knowing that it would allow him to win.Bleach manga; Chapter 166, pages 9-13 Similarly, after regaining control of his body, he tells Ulquiorra to cut off his limbs so that they may have a fair fight''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 353, pages 15-16 and refuses to kill him when he is dying; saying that it was not the way he wanted to win.Bleach manga; Chapter 353, pages 18-19 Despite Ichigo's strong sense of honor, his will to win can waiver at times, which directly affects his overall energy levels and fighting abilities. His absolute resolve is depicted by his eyes glowing bright blue and his body being engulfed in a bright blue aura. The same is included with his Hollow powers, in which his eyes glow yellow and his aura turns black. Ichigo’s abilities at their peak allow him to hold his own, if not contend, against the toughest opponents. His will to protect his friends is shown to be so great that, even when battle-worn, he can fight at deceptively high levels, as seen when he effortlessly caught Grimmjow’s punch when in his released state.Bleach manga; Chapter 283, page 18 However, at the same time, his lack of resolve to win can also impede his spiritual energy and fighting prowess, shown when he goes into a state of depression and self-loathing when he loses a major battle or lets a friend down; after losing his fight against Yammy and Ulquiorra, thanks to the crippling fear of his inner Hollow, Ichigo's will became so weak, he was unable to even defeat a weak Hollow until Rukia helped restore his resolve.Bleach manga; Chapter 196, pages 9-16 History : ''Note: The history section of this page only pertains to fanon events, not canon ones.'' In the century that passed after 's defeat, Ichigo's physical body died, making him a full Shinigami. Instead of joining the Gotei 13, however, Ichigo opted to stay in the Human World and protect Karakura Town. At some point, Ichigo travels to America, hoping to see a place other than Japan and runs into Rukia Kuchiki once again in Rider City, where he gets caught up in the adventures of Raian Getsueikirite, the town's own Substitute Shinigami, and his friends. Equipment Substitute Shinigami Badge: Given to Ichigo by Ukitake before leaving the Soul Society for the first time, the pendant he commonly carries on his belt signifies him as a substitute Shinigami allowing him to remain active in the Human World.Bleach manga; Chapter 181, page 17''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 182, pages 13-14 The pendant gives Ichigo the ability to separate his soul from his body in the absence of Rukia's glove or Kon, it also alerts him to the presence of Hollows in Karakura town like Rukia's phone. Ukitake informs Ichigo that the badge can also be dangerous telling him that it has built in protection making it invisible to normal Humans. In the anime Zennosuke Kurumadani refers to the badge as a "Combat Badge" but is unable to discuss the matter further with Ichigo due to the arrival of Vizard Shinji Hirako, whereas in the manga Kurumadani simply tells Ichigo that he's never heard of his "Seal of Approval" causing Ichigo to refer to it as useless before Hirako's arrival. Powers & Abilities Master Swordsmanship Specialist: In terms of fighting style while in his Shinigami form, Ichigo relies mainly on swordplay, and thus would be considered a swordsmanship specialist. Aside from his initial training with Urahara, he is basically on a "learn as you go" training regimen thus his skill has developed by fighting rather than formal instruction, becoming even more capable with every fight. His overall skill has been shown capable of competing on equal grounds against the swordmasters of Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki's caliber. While usually performing right-handed, Ichigo appears to be ambidextrous as he has shown proficient skill wielding Zangetsu in his left.Bleach manga; Chapter 164-165''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 280, page 10-13''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 282 Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Physically, Ichigo is in top form even when he is not in his spiritual body. Ichigo has been trained in martial arts since he was a small child both professionally and by his father. He has repeatedly shown great agility and coordination in his attacks. In addition to having powerful kicks and punches, Ichigo has also shown proficiency in counterattacks, takedowns, and body locks. He has repeatedly been able to catch an opponent's weapon strikes with a single hand.Bleach manga; Chapter 97, page 16 He also regularly defeats multiple bullies and gangsters, and is a better martial artist than Tatsuki Arisawa, who is ranked the second-strongest girl in all of Japan despite her fighting with a broken arm in the last few matches of the competition. While he stopped training officially after defeating her, his constant attacks from bullies and his father help keep his skills fresh. It should be noted that he was able to effortlessly dispatch three lieutenants with Shikai released Zanpakutō in rapid succession merely bare-handed.Bleach manga; Chapter 152, page 13-17 Flash Steps Expert: Though not particularly versed in its various techniques, Ichigo has become proficient enough of the technique itself to keep up and even surprise high-level Shinigami with his speed. Even Byakuya Kuchiki, one of the most proficient users of Flash Steps in Soul Society, complimented Ichigo's growing mastery of the technique.Bleach manga; Chapter 160, page 11 During his first demonstration of this skill, he was able to quickly move to knock out three lieutenants and grab his sword before any of them hit the ground.Bleach manga; Chapter 152, page 13-17 Vast Spiritual Power: Despite his origins, Ichigo has been noted on several occasions to have tremendously vast levels of spiritual energy well beyond other Shinigami.Bleach anime; Episode 21 He is capable of defeating a Gillian before awakening his true power with only his sealed Zanpakutō. Even at less than half strength, his spiritual energy is still comparable to a Captain-level fighter.Bleach manga; Chapter 382, page 6 His spiritual power is noted to be heavy, which surprised Renji Abarai, a lieutenant-ranked Shinigami.Bleach manga; Chapter 55, page 14 Ichigo constantly gives off reiatsu at the level of a captain.Bleach manga; Chapter 116, page 42 It is so overwhelming that even when worn-out in battle, he can continue fighting effectively while still capable of unleashing Getsuga Tenshō or even unleash and maintain his Bankai.Bleach manga; Chapter 378 Because Ichigo's spiritual energy constantly being so high even at its base level without him consciously being aware of it, he rarely becomes exhausted in battle, thereby meaning the sheer resilience and amounts of energy Ichigo has is monstrous.Bleach anime; Episode 14 Ichigo's spiritual energy is still rather difficult for him to control as he has no formal training in controlling it and upon the instances of Hollowfication his reiatsu fluctuates wildly, with it being unreadable at its lowest point and at its highest point more powerful than that of the 4th Espada Ulquiorra Cifer's.Bleach manga; Chapter 193, page 20 Due to this and that he has far more spiritual energy than his body can consciously contain, it leaks out constantly, preventing him from hiding it and effectively making stealth impossible when dealing with other spiritually-aware beings. However, he has learned how to harden his spiritual energy and enhance the strength of his attacks or act as a barrier to reduce the impact of attacks on him, if not negating them completely. He has shown some skill in channeling his spiritual power as he was capable of destroying the Arbor of the Sōkyoku, seemingly an impossible feat which surprised the Gotei 13, by channeling his spiritual power through his sword into the execution stand.Bleach manga; Chapter 152, page 1 Enhanced Strength: Even without his Shinigami powers, Ichigo has shown himself to be deceptively strong, as shown from his ability to smash a man's head through a concrete floor.Bleach anime; Episode 1 When he is in his Shinigami body, Ichigo's already impressive strength is greatly enhanced. His overall abilities are great enough that he was able to fend off three Shinigami lieutenants with a single punch each; one of which shattered one of their Zanpakutō at the same time.Bleach manga; Chapter 152, page 13-17 His strength is also great enough to stop repeated axe blows from Jidanbō and hurl Rukia several meters into Renji’s arms and still send them both skidding several meters more, both feats with a single-hand.Bleach manga; Chapter 73, page 1-11''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 152, page 8 He is strong enough to hold back the Sōkyoku, a halberd with the destructive force equivalent to one million Zanpakutō combined, just using his Zanpakutō.Bleach manga; Chapter 151, page 6 Enhanced Speed: Even before learning Flash Step, Ichigo has repeatedly shown himself to be a very agile fighter. Ichigo has demonstrated great reflexes in battle, able to quickly dodge a strike with no wasted effort and he can instantly counterattack right after.Bleach manga; Chapter 86, page 14-15 He is able to strike quickly without warning and in rapid succession.Bleach manga; Chapter 55, page 11 His speed also allows him to follow the movements of faster opponents to better analyze their movements or blocking difficult and otherwise fatal strikes.Bleach manga; Chapter 117, page 12-15 Immense Durability: While only a teenage Human, Ichigo has shown himself to be a highly resilient man, as shown from his ability to safely break free from a binding spell (albeit a low-level one) and withstand an assault from a large Hollow.Bleach anime; Episode 1 When in his Shinigami form, Ichigo's physical durability is strengthened to the point he can continue fighting effectively even after receiving many injuries and can survive attacks that would easily kill normal Humans effortlessly. It was stated by Rukia that a Shinigami's life force is their spiritual power. As such, Ichigo is able to withstand attacks that would be fatal to most Shinigami. Uryū once stated that Ichigo was a monster in this regard.Bleach manga; Chapter 71, page 2 Advanced Growth Rate: According to both Aizen and Urahara, Ichigo's most astounding ability is his growth rate: he grasps the basic control of advanced techniques in days where it would take several years for even the most gifted Shinigami. Shortly after getting Shinigami powers and with no previous training, began learning advanced spiritual energy sensing techniques by sheer instinct, as he proved he can use a spirit ribbon to find Yuichi Shibata (in bird form).Bleach manga; Chapter 8, page 11 Another example of his growth rate is the amount of time he took to learn the Bankai of his Zanpakutō, which he learns in two days (albeit with the assistance of a special device invented by Urahara that was originally intended for three days).Bleach manga; Chapter 127, page 5-7''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 132, page 17 He also gains considerable experience in the use of Flash Step while training with Yoruichi, which was done over the same period as his Bankai.Bleach manga; Chapter 160, page 11 Besides his improvements in his Shinigami abilities, Ichigo was also shown able to greatly increase the time he could maintain his Hollow mask from eleven seconds to considerably longer amounts of time. During his first fight with Ulquiorra, he is instantly incapacitated by one Cero blast even with his Hollow mask (which broke within a second), but only a few hours later, he is able to withstand another Cero from Ulquiorra without undergoing Hollowfication and can analyze Ulquiorra's movements much better than before, whereas he "felt like he was fighting a machine or a statue", and failed to predict and counter his attacks.Bleach manga; Chapter 271''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 344, page 9-19 Keen Intellect: Despite his somewhat punkish attitude, Ichigo has shown himself to be analytical, perceptive, and deductive. In his high school, Ichigo's grades are almost always near the top, despite his work as a substitute Shinigami. Aside from that, Ichigo appears to be able to determine the pattern of his opponent's battle methods and correctly deduce a proper counter-strategy to defeat his opponent's attacks. Fullbring: ---''' Zanpakutō '''Zangetsu (斬月, Slaying Moon): The spirit of Zangetsu resembles a tall (about the height of Kenpachi Zaraki) 30 to 40-year-old man with unkempt facial hair and long ragged black hair. He dresses in tattered all black garbs with narrow sunglasses and a long flowing overcoat that flares out into ragged ends. Because of the spirit's appearance, Ichigo calls him as a result. Zangetsu has also been called the . Zangetsu is portrayed as wise and calm in most matters, and fond of testing Ichigo in unusual ways, many of which have a purpose completely contrary to the stated goal. While the inner world is one of tall skyscrapers, Zangetsu has stated to prefer lusher, natural surroundings like bright sunny skies and green forests. Zangetsu has displayed the ability to temporarily close fatal wounds during combat, though whether or not this is a unique ability is unclear. Since first awakening his own Shinigami powers, Ichigo has had a strong connection to his Zanpakutō, as shown from how Zangetsu would regularly come to aid him with words of wisdom when Ichigo is in a difficult situation. In Bankai form, he resembles a teenage version of himself and appears to be closer to Ichigo's age. He has long ragged black hair. He is dressed in a tattered, black hooded cloak that flares out into ragged ends. Zangetsu seems to portray the same cool and calm collectivity as he would when not in Bankai; however, he is far more aggressive. When Ichigo enters his inner world for the first time in Bankai, he finds that the skyscrapers in the inner world are submerged under breathable water.Bleach manga; Chapter 409 Tensa Zangetsu claims that his inner world has changed due to his despair and that the tall skyscapers that pierced the sky represented Ichigo's hope and that all has been replaced by a replica of the town Ichigo grew up in. He goes on to say that while the rain has stopped, everything has been drowned because Ichigo stopped moving forward.Bleach manga; Chapter 410, page 05-06 However, since Ichigo developed an inner Hollow (as a result from nearly becoming one while having his Shinigami powers restored), Zangetsu and the Hollow are both the source of Ichigo's power and share the same spirit body in Ichigo's inner world, the stronger presence retaining more control (and overall appearance) of their body; in which case, the spirit of Zangetsu takes the form of an all-white (clothes and being), somewhat deranged version of Ichigo's Shinigami form with a strong desire to take control of Ichigo's body and power for himself.Bleach manga; Chapter 218, page 23 The two entities can also fuse themselves into one body, revealing a body with Zangetsu's hair along with some features of the Hollow's new form.Bleach manga; Chapter 411, page 8-11 When Ichigo first becomes a Shinigami, his Zanpakutō is a standard-looking katana, but oversized with an equally-oversized brown sheathe hung by a strap over his right shoulder. It has a rectangular bronze hand guard with gently inward-curved edges, a stylized flame pattern on the long sides, and a simple decorative slit on the short ones. The handle is red with two light blue tassels on the end of the handle. The large size is due to the unfocused but immense amount of Ichigo's spiritual power, which he didn't know how to control. As a result, the sword itself was rather weak, since very little spiritual power was used to create it. Nevertheless, it was powerful enough to subdue a Gillian-class Menos and lesser Hollows, completely blocking a Cero from the former. It was even able to upturn the ground with a single strike.Bleach manga; Chapter 53, pages 21 Because of its weak spiritual energy nature, Byakuya Kuchiki was able to easily cut off most of the blade during his first encounter with Ichigo and Kisuke Urahara subsequently slices it down to the hilt during their training, forcing Ichigo to learn the name of his Zanpakutō in order to release its true form. This sword is found to be a result of Rukia's deprived spiritual energy and not a result of his own power.Bleach manga; Chapter 55, page 15-17''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 66, page 6-11 *'Shikai': The Shikai form of Zangetsu looks like an oversized elegant cleaver rather than a formal "katana". He has no tsuba and no proper hilt; what Ichigo holds is the cloth-wrapped tang. The sword is as tall as Ichigo is, 1.75 meters, and has a black blade with a silver edge. The cloth wrapping on the tang seems to react to Ichigo's will, changing length at a thought or twining about the blade in an impromptu sheath. When in combat, the cloth falls away when necessary, shrinking back to a manageable size.Bleach manga; Chapter 67, page 9 & 11 The cloth can also be used to swing the weapon like a flail and toss it at opponents for mid-range combat, but this is rarely done. The cloth also can be done to wrap up wounds, as Ichigo does during his fight with Ikkaku Madarame, but this is also done rarely.Bleach manga; Chapter 87, page 23 Ichigo has also on more than one occasion used Zangetsu's wide blade as a shield from incoming attacks. Unlike most Zanpakutō, which can be sealed into their original form, Zangetsu is always in its Shikai form. Yoruichi Shihōin has stated that his Zanpakutō is a full-time released form type because of Ichigo's vast but uncontrollable spiritual energy upon generation of it, implying that it is simply a type of Zanpakutō that without proper control of his spiritual energy, once in Shikai form, it remains in its said state.Bleach manga; Chapter 120, page 9 After his training in the Dangai, Zangetsu's Shikai gains a new form. The cleaver is now curved into a tip near the hilt, and the tip of the blade takes on a similar shape. The sword's handle is now more circular and has a chain coming from the pommel, similar to Tensa Zangetsu's. :Shikai Special Ability: Zangetsu's is largely used for melee combat but possesses three known special abilities. :* Getsuga Tenshō (月牙天衝, Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer): At the instant of the slash, Zangetsu absorbs his spiritual energy and releases highly condensed spiritual energy at the tip of the blade, magnifying the slash attack and then flies forward.Bleach manga; Chapter 161, page 5 This slash takes the form of a crescent moon or in the shape of a wave.Bleach manga; Chapter 161, page 15 Ichigo uses this ability without knowing its name several times but masters the technique later on during his Bankai training. As stated by Zangetsu, knowing the name of an attack heightens its power compared to its strength when the wielder does not know its name.Bleach manga; Chapter 161, page 6-8 The Getsuga Tenshō is a powerful technique with great force, capable of causing large-scale damage and destruction. While it is currently the only attack Ichigo knows from Zangetsu, Ichigo has used this technique in several different manners, such as striking the ground to create an omnidirectional blast to knock away incoming attacks or slashing at the ground to upturn it and crush everything in its path.Bleach manga; Chapter 166, page 17 Upon it's completion, Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshō becomes massive, and has far more power than before. It was able to completely eradicate the top of a mansion with easy. :* Meigetsu (明月, Harvest Moon): A new technique taught to Ichigo by Zangetsu himself in order to help Ichigo become more accustomed to him. By striking the ground, blue energy bursts from directly beneath Ichigo's target, making it a hard technique to dodge. * Bankai: Tensa Zangetsu (天鎖斬月, Heaven Chain Slaying Moon): It is considered completely out of the ordinary for any Zanpakutō. Unlike most Bankai forms, which usually create some sort of massive creature or effect, Ichigo's Bankai actually shrinks his sword down to a daitō (Japanese long sword) with a black blade instead. The cross guard has four prongs bent out to form the shape of the manji (which is the kanji for "ban," meaning "full", as in "full release"). The blade itself can endure even the strongest of attacks, making it quite effective in blocking and deflecting incoming attacks; it can even withstand getting crushed by force.Bleach anime; Episode 239 Instead of the cloth his Shikai form had, a short length of chain with a broken link at the end dangles from the base of the hilt. After Ichigo's training in the Dangai, Zangetsu's guard becomes noticeably bigger and rougher looking, with its chain extending around Ichigo's entire right arm, as well as what appears to be a glove on his right hand.Bleach manga; Chapter 417, pages 1 After regaining his powers, Ichigo's Bankai changes once again. It retains it's post-Dangai appearance. The black glove on his hand gains a red "x"-design, as do the chain on Ichigo's arm. In addition to his sword, Ichigo's robe is replaced with a long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat (or shikakushō) with red lining that is closed at his chest, then left to flare out into ragged ends, much like that of Zangetsu himself.Bleach manga; Chapter 162, page 14-16 This coat is part of Ichigo's Bankai and the damage it can take is directly proportionate to the remaining strength and level of Ichigo's Reiatsu.Bleach manga; Chapter 382, pages 4-5 :Bankai Special Ability: Tensa Zangetsu, much like its Shikai form, is used heavily for melee combat, but also possess a certain special ability. :*'Enhanced Getsuga Tenshō': Tensa Zangetsu retains the use of Getsuga Tenshō and can be used in the same manners, but can be used in an enhanced form. When used in Bankai, these potent blasts are black with a red outline and their path can be controlled, with explosively augmented power and speed. During Byakuya Kuchiki's fight with Ichigo, he refers to this attack as a "Kuroi Getsuga" (黒月牙; "Black Moon Fang"), referring to the attack's darkened color. Ichigo has stated that the Black Getsuga was originally Hollow Ichigo's technique,Bleach anime; Episode 121 and has been proven as Ichigo had no knowledge of it during his fight with Byakuya Kuchiki, using the original Getsuga when in Bankai, and Hollow Ichigo stated that all Ichigo was doing when he used the technique was copying his inner Hollow. Ichigo can also keep Getsuga Tenshō within Tensa Zangetsu to augment his sword swings. :* Enhanced Meigetsu: In Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu retains use of Meigetsu. In Bankai, Ichigo can forgo stabbing the ground, as declaring the name of the technique causes an energy circle to form directly beneath his foe and then releases a tremendous burst of white and red spiritual energy that has enough strength to send shockwaves for miles around. :* Ijō Getsuga (籠月牙, Caged Moon Fang): By swirling the spiritual energy of the Getsuga Tenshō, and then releasing it, Ichigo can trap an opponent(s) in a massive dense sphere with a silver-green center. While inside, an opponent is incapable of physically escaping the spiritual stronghold, but a strong enough spiritual attack should be capable of destroying the sphere. :*'Getsuga Chirashi' (散らし月牙, Scattering Moon Fang): Ichgio is capable of scattering the Getsuga energy around himself as his opponent for multiple purposes. One, in order to cloak his appearance in battle and to hinder an opponent's eyesight. Another would be to serve as a shield for incoming attacks. It appears that Ichigo can also keep this technique activated for a considerable amount of time, and even use it for offense, which would theoretically allow him to release multiple Getsuga Tenshō blasts at a single instant; however, these are not as strong alone as the original technique, but completely surpass the latter when fired together at a single opponent. :*'Kyōgetsu' (杏月, Mirror Moon): Ichigo can use the power of the Getsuga Tenshō as a reflective technique. According to Zangetsu, this is the ultimate indication of the mastery of Getsuga Tenshō. It allows Ichigo to reverse the reishi charge of the normal Getsuga, and use it to attract the spiritual force of another. By doing this, Ichigo can release an attack that easily surpasses the Getsuga, without causing long-term damage to himself. :*'Hyper-Speed Combat': Ichigo takes all the power of his Bankai and compresses it into a small, condensed form. Then, he uses the power of the Bankai to perform high-speed combat.Bleach manga; Chapter 163, page 19-20 His new speed is so great, that it also enhances his Flash Step prowess and allows him to create dozens of afterimages to confuse his opponent.Bleach manga; Chapter 163, page 9-17 :*'Enhanced Strength': Ichigo's Bankai also allows him to further enhance his natural great strength as shown from how effortlessly he blocked a punch from Yammy Riyalgo, an Espada known primarily for his immense strength. He is strong enough to cut through Yammy's Hierro with relative ease.Bleach manga; Chapter 193, page 12-14 The sudden boost in strength upon releasing allows Ichigo to break free from any attack that binds him and prevents him from moving.Bleach anime; Episode 246 :*'Enhanced Spiritual Power': His reiatsu is so intense and rough as well as thick and heavy that it can suffocate Humans just by being in the general vicinity of his released Bankai.Bleach manga; Chapter 193, page 8 Ichigo's reiatsu was solid in his Bankai despite him only recently acquiring it.Bleach manga; Chapter 193, page 14 In addition, his already immense spiritual energy has grandly and explosively increased, and now has a deep black spiritual energy with a crimson outline. It has come to a point where the red-outlined black energy emanates off of Ichigo's body when his spiritual pressure is exerted, replacing his blue aura. Ever since Ichigo defeated his inner Hollow and affirming his place as a Vizard, he produces a black aura with a red outline that surrounds him as he initiates Bankai, rather than a white aura that shoots high into the sky. :*'Enhanced Bankai Duration': Furthermore, the fact that all of his energy is "compressed" means that usage of his Bankai doesn't expel as much spiritual power as other Bankai from the point of activation; thus allowing him to use Tensa Zangetsu at a much longer duration than any other Bankai users of his level. Quotes *''"... If fate is a millstone, then we are the grist. There is nothing we can do. So I wish for strength. If I cannot protect them from the wheel, then give me a strong blade, and enough strength... to shatter fate."'' References Category:Alternative Saga